Consumption of titanium dioxide pigments within the paper industry strongly depends on the market. On the majority of markets such fillers as kaolin, chalk, talc, calcium carbonate, aluminosilicates, etc. are used as substances ensuring hiding power and whiteness. Titanium dioxide due to its relatively high price is used mainly for high quality, very white types of paper, often of small thickness.

Pigments used in the Paper Industry:

Titanium dioxide pigments may be applied both in the pulp and in the external coating giving high quality to a sheet of paper. For pigmenting of pulp, cheap untreated anatase brands (more seldom rutile ones) are used, often supplied by manufacturers in the form of appropriately prepared slurry. In this application anatase brands are better as they are characterised by significantly lower abrasion and – as the result of lower absorption of visible light – they have got more neutral shade than the rutile brands. Moreover, anatase brands, thanks to lower density, do not negatively affect retention. High hiding power of titanium dioxide allows for obtaining of non-transparency of paper with little filling with pigment, usually not exceeding several percent. Elimination of titanium dioxide by means of fillers allows – as a matter of fact – for obtaining of non-transparency but it takes place at the cost of the paper quality. On one hand, large share of fillers reduces the paper durability, and on the other hand, does not ensure sufficient hiding in case paper gets in contact with printing ink (phenomenon of paper showing-through). Titanium dioxide also improves printing parameters of paper. Its fine particles ensure high smoothness, and excellent optical properties ensure high brightness of the paper surface. Furthermore, thanks to its chemical inertness, titanium dioxide does not react with other components of paper, printing inks or chemicals used during printing. The compromise between the quality and the costs of paper production is to cover paper sheets with special coatings pigmented with titanium dioxide pigments. For this purpose mainly surface treated rutile pigments more resistant to the action of light are used.

Decorative papers and laminated papers are a separate application. For their production rutile brands with the highest lightfastness are used. Volume concentration of titanium dioxide in decorative paper reaches even up to 40%. In the recent years continuous growth in production of such sorts of papers has been observed, resulting in greater consumption of titanium dioxide.

 

KNOWLEDGE BASE

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